Legal
Privacy Policy
Last Updated: April 15, 2021 | Effective Date: April 15, 2021
1. Who We Are
Key AI Ventures ("Key AI Ventures," "we," "us," or "our") is a seed-stage venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. We invest in enterprise security and cloud infrastructure companies, backed by Wing Venture Capital. Our principal office is located in San Francisco, CA 94105.
This Privacy Policy explains how Key AI Ventures collects, uses, discloses, and protects information about you when you visit our website at key-ai.net (the "Site"), contact us, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our business activities. Please read this policy carefully. By using our Site or contacting us, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy.
Key AI Ventures acts as the data controller for the personal information described in this Privacy Policy. If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, please see the Contact Us section at the end of this document.
We collect several types of information in connection with the operation of our Site and our business activities:
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
When you contact us through our website, attend events we host, or interact with us in connection with potential investment opportunities, you may provide us with:
- Contact information: Your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.
- Professional information: Your company name, job title, LinkedIn profile URL, and professional background information.
- Business information: Information about your company, including its stage, sector, funding history, and financial information you choose to share with us.
- Communications content: The content of messages, pitch decks, emails, and other materials you send to us.
- Event registration information: Information you provide when registering for events we host or attend.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain technical information:
- Log data: Your IP address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Site you visit, the time and date of your visit, time spent on pages, and other diagnostic data.
- Device information: Information about the device you use to access our Site, including hardware model, operating system, and browser type.
- Usage data: Information about how you navigate and interact with our Site, including referring URLs and exit pages.
- Cookie data: Data collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in Section 7 of this policy.
2.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:
- Professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn, Crunchbase, and AngelList.
- Background check and due diligence service providers we use in connection with our investment activities.
- Other venture capital firms, accelerators, and incubators who refer companies to us.
- Portfolio company contacts and other members of the startup ecosystem.
- Publicly available sources, including news publications, regulatory filings, and company websites.
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information through the following means:
- Direct collection: When you fill out a contact form, send us an email, attend an event, or otherwise communicate with us directly.
- Automatic collection: Through cookies, web analytics tools, and server logs when you visit our Site.
- Third-party sources: From professional networks, referral partners, and publicly available sources as described above.
- In-person collection: At industry events, conferences, and meetings where we exchange business cards or other contact information.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
4.1 Business and Investment Operations
- Evaluating and managing potential investment opportunities.
- Conducting due diligence on companies, founders, and executives.
- Maintaining records of our investment activities and portfolio management.
- Communicating with founders, co-investors, and other business contacts.
- Managing our relationships with limited partners and investors in our fund.
4.2 Site Operation and Improvement
- Operating, maintaining, and improving our Site.
- Analyzing how visitors use our Site to improve content and user experience.
- Troubleshooting technical issues and ensuring the security of our Site.
- Sending you communications you request, such as responses to contact form submissions.
4.3 Marketing and Communications
- Sending you our newsletter and updates about our investment activities, with your consent where required.
- Informing you about events, publications, and other content we produce.
- Promoting our firm's profile in the startup and venture capital ecosystem.
4.4 Legal and Compliance
- Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations.
- Responding to legal process, government requests, and regulatory inquiries.
- Protecting our legal rights and those of our employees, portfolio companies, and partners.
- Preventing fraud and ensuring the security of our operations.
5. Legal Basis for Processing
For individuals located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal information on the following legal bases:
- Legitimate interests: For most of our business and investment activities, we rely on our legitimate interests (and those of our limited partners and portfolio companies) in operating a venture capital business, evaluating investment opportunities, and maintaining business relationships. We balance these interests against your privacy interests.
- Contract performance: When processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take pre-contractual steps at your request (for example, in connection with a term sheet or investment agreement).
- Legal obligation: When processing is necessary to comply with applicable law.
- Consent: For marketing communications where we are required to obtain consent under applicable law.
6. How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
- Service providers: We share information with vendors and service providers who help us operate our business, including website hosting, email services, CRM systems, legal and financial advisors, and due diligence platforms. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information.
- Co-investors and partners: In connection with investment evaluations and portfolio company support, we may share information with co-investors, advisors, and strategic partners under confidentiality obligations.
- Wing Venture Capital: As our anchor investor and strategic partner, Wing Venture Capital may have access to certain information in connection with our fund management and co-investment activities.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
- With your consent: We may share information with third parties when you have given us your explicit consent to do so.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and track information about how you use our Site. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. We use the following types of cookies:
- Strictly necessary cookies: Essential for the Site to function properly. These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Site, allowing us to improve its functionality and content.
- Preference cookies: Remember your preferences and settings to improve your experience on return visits.
You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings and by using our cookie consent tool. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Site. For more detailed information about our cookie practices, please see our Cookie Policy.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, subject to applicable legal requirements. Our retention practices reflect the nature of the data and the purposes for which it was collected:
- Investment records: Information related to investment evaluations, due diligence, and portfolio company relationships is retained for the duration of our fund's active investment period and for a period thereafter as required by regulatory obligations and investor reporting requirements.
- Contact and CRM data: Business contact information is retained as long as we maintain an active relationship with the relevant individual or organization, and for a reasonable period thereafter for relationship continuity purposes.
- Website analytics: Anonymized or aggregated analytics data may be retained indefinitely; personally identifiable analytics data is retained for a period of up to 26 months.
- Marketing communications: We retain consent records and communication preferences until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
When personal information is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention policies.
9. Data Security
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:
- Encryption of data in transit using Transport Layer Security (TLS).
- Access controls limiting access to personal information to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
- Regular review and updates of our security practices.
- Contractual requirements for security practices from our service providers.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately.
10. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to access: The right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: The right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information about you.
- Right to erasure: The right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Right to restrict processing: The right to request that we limit how we use your information in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability: The right to receive your personal information in a structured, machine-readable format in certain circumstances.
- Right to object: The right to object to our processing of your personal information based on legitimate interests.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
11. California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
- Right to know: You have the right to request that we disclose what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell or share about you.
- Right to delete: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to correct: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information about you.
- Right to opt out of sale or sharing: We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the CCPA/CPRA.
- Right to limit use of sensitive personal information: You have the right to limit our use of sensitive personal information to certain permitted purposes.
- Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA/CPRA rights.
To submit a request under the CCPA/CPRA, please contact us using the information in Section 16. You may also designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable consumer request.
12. International Data Transfers
Key AI Ventures is based in the United States. If you are located outside the United States and provide personal information to us, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. The United States may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country.
For transfers from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland to the United States, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms as required by applicable law, which may include Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission or the UK Information Commissioner's Office. By providing your personal information to us, you consent to its transfer to and processing in the United States.
13. Children's Privacy
Our Site is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the applicable minimum age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our systems.
14. Third-Party Links
Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, including the websites of our portfolio companies, co-investors, and service providers. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party sites.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, provide additional notice such as a prominent notice on our Site or an email notification.
Your continued use of our Site after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the changes, please discontinue using our Site and contact us to request deletion of your information.
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or want to report a privacy concern, please contact us:
Key AI Ventures
Attn: Privacy Team
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States
Email: privacy@key-ai.net
For general inquiries, you may also use our contact form.
If you are located in the EEA or UK and are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.